The History of Spider-Man: 1998
Spidey suffers from an Identity Crisis, as the four Slingers identities make their debut.
For over 50 years, Spider-Man has been a sensational standout in the Marvel Universe and the web-slinger will swing onto the silver screen once again in Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Infinity War” this May! In celebration of his memorable history, we present Spidey’s spectacular step-by-step story…
Spider-Man wrapped up his battle with Gremlyn Lord Buel in SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #23 just in time to celebrate Christmas by fighting Hydro-Man in SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #24. Later, he snagged the Globe of Infinite Knowledge for the Authority in MARVEL TEAM-UP #5, and held his own against Namor and the Wrecking Crew in MARVEL TEAM-UP #6 and Blade the Vampire Hunter in MARVEL TEAM-UP #7.
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #430
- Published: January 10, 1998
- Added to Marvel Unlimited: June 10, 2013
The Shocker and the Trapster failed at their schemes in SPIDER-MAN #87, while Carnage pilfered the Power Cosmic by taking over the Silver Surfer in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #430 and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #431. Spidey took a run through the jungle with Kraven and Calypso in SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #253, endured Dr. Angst’s endurance tests in SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #254, and once again sent the Lizard back to the swamps in SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED #19.
A webbed-up corpse discovered in SPIDER-MAN #88 pointed to our hero as the murderer, setting the entire city against him. The Daily Bugle put a five-million-dollar bounty on Spidey’s head in SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #25, New Yorkers became intent on capturing him in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #432, Shot gun and the Punisher entered the sweepstakes in SPIDER-MAN #89, and the wallcrawler himself hunted down the new Green Goblin to save little Normie Osborn in SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #255.
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #432
- Published: March 10, 1998
- Added to Marvel Unlimited: June 03, 2013
Sandman and Hydro-Man made an unusual team to nab the webslinger and Silver Sable in SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #26, and Mr. Hyde tried his best to beat them to the punch in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #433. Spidey crossed over into the Negative Zone in SPIDER-MAN #90 to clash with Blastaar and his adversary Dusk. Back on Earth, Peter Parker wore a bag over his head to stuff the White Rabbit back into her hole in SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #256 and team-up with Hannibal King to nail the coffin lid down on Dracula’s daughter Lilith in SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED #20.
Adopting the new heroic identity of Ricochet to take the heat off Spider-Man in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #434, Peter took on the Black Tarantula in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #435. As the Hornet, he fought the Looter in SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #27 and the Vulture in SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #28, and as Dusk he tangled with the Trapster in SPIDER-MAN #91 and SPIDER-MAN #92. Still not done with alternate identities, he became Prodigy to rescue an ambassador’s child in SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #257 and mix it up with both Jack O’ Lantern and Conundrum in SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #258.
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #258
- Published: June 10, 1998
- Added to Marvel Unlimited: December 04, 2017
- Writer: Glenn Greenberg, J. M. DeMatteis
- Penciller: Luke Ross
- Cover Artist: John Romita
Back in his regular webby guise, Spidey crossed paths with the Black Cat in SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #29 to fight alongside her against Arcade in SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #30. After many months of mystery, the wallcrawler finally exposed the true identities of both the Rose and the Black Tarantula in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #436 and synched up with Synch of Generation X to uproot Plantman in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #437. Following that, Ghost Rider paid him a visit in SPIDER-MAN #93, Kingpin, Ox, and Silvermane demanded his attention in SPIDER-MAN #94, and a trip to Europe with Betty Brandt scared up the Frankenstein Monster in SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED #21.
The Green Goblin busted Hobgoblin out of jail in SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #259 to acquire a missing Osborn journal, Norman Osborn made a deal with Hobgoblin for it in SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #260 and subsequently threw him to the dogs in SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #261. Meanwhile, Spidey roped in a rampaging Rhino in SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #31, dared to accept aid from Daredevil versus Synario in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #438, and saved a little girl’s life in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #439. Any good feelings from that swiftly disappeared when Peter later found himself trapped in an elevator with none other than Norman Osborn in SPIDER-MAN #95.
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #263
- Published: November 10, 1998
- Added to Marvel Unlimited: December 04, 2017
- Writer: Howard Mackie
- Penciller: Luke Ross
- Cover Artist: John Byrne
The webslinger battled Override at the Technomancer Building in SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #32, received a hotfoot from the Molten Man in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #440, and fell into the tangled skein of Madame Web in SPIDER-MAN #96. Norman Osborn began the necessary preparations for the Gathering of the Five in SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #262, while Spidey threw down once more with Override in SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #33. Across town, the Scorpion kidnapped J. Jonah Jameson and his wife in SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED #22.
The supposed final chapter in the sinister saga of Osborn and Parker kicked into gear in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #441, sending our hero into battle with Osborn as the Green Goblin in SPIDER-MAN #97. A very-much alive Aunt May surfaced in SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #263 to further confuse Peter, as well as what he believed to be his daughter in SPIDER-MAN #98. Later, after the dust cleared, Spider-Man witnessed the birth of four new heroes in SLINGERS #1 when others took over the four costumed identities he’d recently created for himself.
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